Internet Sex Crime Charges

Columbus Criminal Defense Lawyers

Few people realize that the Internet is becoming more heavily regulated. Every day, many people like you stumble into unclear and legally ambiguous situations while browsing the Web. The worst crimes perpetrated using the Internet are grouped together under the name of Internet sex crimes. These crimes, usually involving minors, can land you in a very serious trouble with the law.

How are these cases defended?

When we represent people charged with Internet sex crimes, there are a lot of factors to consider.

First, the Internet is notoriously a place where people can unwittingly be lured into undesirable circumstances without proper information to implicate them in a crime. For example, if you’re talking to a minor online and the conversation turns to sex, the State of Ohio considers this a crime. If you can prove, however, that you didn’t know the other party was under 16, we can argue that you weren’t a willing participant.

If you’re charged with an Internet sex crime, don’t talk to anyone about the case before you secure the expert legal team available from Scott & Nolder Law Firm in Columbus, OH. We can protect your interests, especially when it comes to the complicated legal codes that regulate your behavior on the Internet.

What counts as an Internet sex crime?

Since an Internet sex crime can include any crime of sexual nature perpetrated on the Internet. Most often, the term Internet sex crime involves engaging in sexual situations either with a minor or involving sexual content (pornography) featuring underage subjects.

Here are several laws that fit into this category:

Unlawful Sexual Contact With Minor

While the actual act of unlawful sexual contact with a minor happens in person, it’s common for planning to occur in online chatrooms. This is why it’s important to be very sure about the identity of a person you’re talking to online, especially if you discuss plans to meet up for sexual acts.

In the eyes of the State of Ohio law, even showing the intent to have contact with an underage person is a crime. The latter act is called importuning and may also involve solicitation, both crimes that carry jail time and fines, even if you’re a first-time offender.

You can be charged with solicitation in the event that you’re found running or participating in a site that sells the services of prostitutes as well.

Pandering Obscenity

Pandering obscenity is one of the cybercrimes that individuals can find themselves in if they aren’t careful. The State of Ohio considers possession and distribution of child pornography to be a serious crime as well as sending pornography of any kind to a recipient who is under the age of consent.

Penalties for pandering obscenity in the State of Ohio range from a second-degree felony to a fourth-degree felony, with both charges carrying potentially substantial prison sentences.

For more information on how to avoid these crimes and how we can help defend your innocence and protect your rights when you’ve been accused, contact Scott & Nolder Law Firm in Columbus, OH, today.